Joseph Forgives His Brothers

Genesis 41:41-46:7

     Although Joseph's brothers had sold him as a slave, God took care of him. He was no longer a slave but was now the governor of Egypt.

     Joseph knew there would be seven years when the farms would do well and seven years they would do poorly. During the seven years of plenty he put a fifth of each farm's crops in storehouses for the seven years of hunger that were coming.

     After the seven years of plenty, seven years of hunger began. Everyone in Egypt was starving and cried to the king.

     "You must see Joseph, "Pharaoh told them. "Do whatever he tells you." So Joseph opened up all the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians. Soon people came from many other countries to buy grain, because there was hunger in those countries too.

     Joseph's father (Israel, who used to be called Jacob) heard that there was food in Egypt. He did not know that Joseph was there. So Joseph's ten older brothers went to Egypt to buy grain, but they left the youngest brother, Benjamin, with their father. None of them knew that Joseph was the governor in Egypt.

     When the brothers came to the palace, they bowed to Joseph so their faces touched the ground. They did not know who he was, and Joseph pretended not to know them.

     "I think you are spies from another country," he said.

     "No, sir," they answered. "Our father sent us to buy food. We are all from the same family. Benjamin, our youngest brother, is still at home."

     Joseph pretended not to believe them. He put them in prison for three days. Then he said, "You bring your youngest brother back here, so I can see if your telling the truth. I will keep one of you, Simeon, here until you come back."

     The brothers talked to each other and said, "This is because of what we did to Joseph. Now we are being punished." They said this in their Hebrew language, and Joseph pretended not to understand them. But when they were not looking, he cried.

     Then Joseph told servants to fill up the grain sacks of his brothers and to put the money they had paid into the sacks, too. When they got to their home in Canaan, they found their money. They were very frightened. They wondered if the governor thought they had cheated him.

     "The governor says we must take Benjamin with us if we want to see Simeon again," they told their father. They told him everything that had happened in Egypt.

     For many months Joseph's father and brothers and their wives and children ate bread made from the grain they bought in Egypt. But finally it was all gone. Their father said, "You must go to Egypt again to buy a little food."

     Judah said, "We must take Benjamin, or the governor will not talk to us." Israel said, "Joseph is dead. Now I have lost Simeon. On top of that, you want to take Benjamin away too."

     They argued with their father for a long time. Israel finally said, "It must be. You may take Benjamin and go. But take the governor a gift of some of our honey and nuts and spices, and maybe he will be kind to us. Pray that God lets me see Benjamin and Simeon again."

     So the brothers went back to Egypt and took Benjamin with them. When Joseph saw Benjamin, he told his servants to make a feast. He asked the brothers questions about their home and their father. Then he told his servants to fill their grain sacks, put the money they had paid into the sacks, and put his favorite silver cup in Benjamin's sack.

     When the brothers were on their way to Canaan, Joseph sent guards to bring them back. "Why did you steal from me?" he asked. He pretended to be very angry. "Now Benjamin must stay here as my slave," he said.

     "My lord, our father is a very old man. He has already lost one son. If we go back without Benjamin, he will die. Keep me as your slave instead," begged Judah.

     Joseph could not stand any more. He sent all the servants out. He burst into tears. When he could talk, he said, "I am Joseph! Tell me, is our father really still alive?"

     At first Joseph's brothers did not understand. Then Joseph said, "Come close to me and look. I am Joseph, the brother you sold as a slave. It was God who planned this. God sent me here so I could save your lives. So hurry back to Canaan and tell our father that God had made me governor of all Egypt."

     Then Joseph threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and cried.

     The kind of Egypt heard that these were Joseph's brothers and said, "Bring your family here and I will give them food and land."

     So they went back and told their father, "We have found Joseph! He is alive and is governor of all Egypt!"

     At first Israel did not believe them, but finally he did. "My son Joseph is alive. I must go to see him," he said.

     Israel prayed to God, and God said, "Do not be afraid to go to Egypt.  I will be with you. And I will make your children into a great nation."

     So all the brothers took their wives and children, their servants and cattle and sheep and goats and wagons to Egypt. At last Israel saw all twelve of his sons together.